In my Kdrama radar: a space-y kind of love and an odd duo chasing justice

"When the Stars Gossip" is a love story that started in space and each episode is chaotic. "Unmasked" started off strong with a case that the leads need to uncover and broadcast to the nation.

How is it the end of January already? This month feels like a whirlwind. I swear it was just December yesterday. I miss the holiday spirit! Someone please bring it back. 😭

But let’s not dwell on the past, because you know what January is perfect for? Binge-watching incredible new Kdramas! Granted, I haven’t consumed as much Kdramas as I used to, but these three titles have completely stolen my attention (and heart): When the Stars Gossip and Unmasked. Let’s get to it!

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When the Stars Gossip – What do you get when you throw in a guest space explorer into a mix of seasoned astronauts? Utter chaos amidst the drama, with a sprinkling of comedy. I am pleased.

Not gonna lie: I started watching this because the female lead, Gong Hyo Jin, is one of my favorite actresses. Plus, the setting in space. Surely, even if it’s a serious drama, it will still be interesting. (I’m not really a fan of sad and dramatic shows.)

I was in for a surprise. Lee Min Ho’s character, Kong Ryong, is funny without trying and his character is just… so awkward and plain, to the point that he can even be relatable. Sure, he’s an OB-GYN but he’s also broke. He’s raised by three aunties, all of whom he calls his mother. He has a dismal love life and just goes with the flow until he meets the commander on his trip to space.

Enter Eve Kim, played by Gong Hyo Jin. She’s a tough, no-nonsense astronaut and the commander of their space flight. She’s an advocate for mice and flies successfully procreating in space. She can be prickly but also has a warm side. I feel like her character has a lot to unpack.

Ryong is more than a guest in this space flight, though. He actually has a secret mission that his chaebol girlfriend’s dad asked him to do. This is what started the chaos. 😂 Who knew that bringing an OB-GYN to space would be such an adventure full of madness and mayhem?

The other astronauts with them – Santi, Seung Jun, and Min A – add to the merry mix of mishaps and laughter. I honestly thought I’d be watching a Kdrama that’s 90% sad or heavy on the drama factor. Instead, I get a clumsy male lead, a strong female lead, and a supporting cast that makes this series interesting. I don’t know what I’m going to get in the next episode and I love it. It’s a wild life out there in space. 😆

If you’re looking for something to watch that’s light enough but also comes with enough drama to make you sit down and watch it for about an hour, then you might want to try “When the Stars Gossip.”

“Unmasked” – Dive into the thrilling world where our leads work for a program that uncovers the ugly truth of society and its members.

In this kdrama, Oh So Ryong is the team leader of an investigative reporting crew for a TV program called “Trigger.” She can be fearless and stubborn but she also has a good head between her shoulders. She fights for justice and chases them – literally. All seems to be going well until they get a newbie for their team, Han Do.

Han Do is a writer for drama shows and was aiming to be in a new team for a show about animals. Instead, he gets transferred to Trigger and he’s not pleased. He does what he wants and I feel like he’s not to be trusted with what So Ryong and her team work so hard for. He’s a character who’s hard to like.

Given that he’s the male lead, I’m sure his character development will make me eat my words pretty soon.

I was not wrong.

Han Do may be rude and gruff, but his heart is in the right place… most of the time. Or at least, when he warms up to So Ryong. While they are always at odds with each other, they work pretty well together. Cases are solved. Justice is served.

With only four episodes out, there’s more to discover: The main leads’ backstories. Han Do’s painful and traumatic past was already shown in snippets. So Ryong is a bit of an enigma. I can’t wait to learn what really happened in her past.

“Unmasked” is intense and the cases they take are not for the faint of heart: a cult whose members are abused, a psychopath kid, and then a high school student who’s been r**ed by her father since she was a child. That’s just in four episodes. Let’s not forget the main case that the series is handing out in bits and pieces: An insanely popular model-turned-actor from 2004 suddenly disappears. So Ryong is doing her best to find out what happened to him, and his then-girlfriend, Cho Haewon, is not making it easy for her.

Also, the burning million-dollar question: Who is Dr. Trigger? Someone who calls themself with that alias has uploaded a sex video online and the malicious post seems to target So Ryong.

If you like mystery thrillers with some comedy and great chemistry among the cast, then I highly recommend “Unmasked.”

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And that’s it for me, folks! At least for now. 😊 What Kdramas are you watching? Which ones did you drop? 🙈 Leave your thoughts in the comments. Don’t be shy!

Enjoy the last few days of January. 🫶🏼 The upcoming Kdramas look promising. Here’s to watching more, because we just can’t get enough of them! 😁